English

Nafshenu's Journey to Israel
July 24 - August 4, 2022

Tour Rates & Dates:

There are no Departure Dates available for this Package.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
All rates above are in US Dollars, and are based on full payment by credit card unless otherwise noted.
If check payment discount is available for this tour, it can be selected after clicking "BOOK" above.
(Deposit can still be paid by credit card). Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

Tour Overview:

Download a PDF version:

Our journey will be hands-on, learning from ancient artifacts and new age discoveries. A cultural, socio-historical, spiritual unearthing of Israel from inside out!

ON OUR JOURNEY WE WILL:
  • Explore the metropolitan city of Tel Aviv, including visits to Old Jaffa, Nachalat Binyamin and the Carmel Market
  • Discover the former Roman capital of Caesarea, including the ancient theater and the aqueduct
  • Enjoy an exciting jeep tour through the Golan Heights and learn to make chocolate at the DeKarina Chocolate Factory
  • Travel to the mystical city of Safed, one of the four holiest cities in Israel and birthplace of Kabbalah
  • Delve into history in Jerusalem's Old City, with visits to the Jewish, Arab and Christian quarters

INCLUDED:
  • 2 nights Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv
  • 2 nights Kibbutz Nof Ginosar Hotel, Galilee
  • 5 nights Harmony Hotel , Jerusalem
  • All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
  • Breakfast daily
  • 6 dinners, including Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem
  • Lunch at a Dead Sea resort
  • Golan Heights jeep tour
  • Chocolate workshop or wine tasting
  • Sound and Light show
  • Camel Ride
  • Volunteering at Pantry Packers
  • Transfer included if arriving and departing with the main group
  • Entrance fees as per itinerary
  • Porterage
  • Bottled water on the bus

NOT INCLUDED:
  • Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges (contact Ayelet Tours for flights)
  • Border taxes or visa fees (Jordan visa fee is $69 paid in advance – border tax for Jordan of approx. $60 payable in USD at the border)
  • Tips to guides, drivers & dining room waiters ($20 per person, per day; pre-collected) (For more information on our tipping policies, click here)
  • Any meals not listed above
  • Any items of a personal nature
  • Any costs associated with testing or related to proof of Covid/vaccine status. Currently proof of traveler health insurance and vaccination are required to enter Israel.
  • Travel insurance (group insurance is available)

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Sunday, July 24, 2022: DEPARTURE

• We depart the United States on our overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Monday, July 25, 2022: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and are met by an Ayelet Tours representative.
• We transfer to Tel Aviv for a welcome ceremony on the beach celebrating our arrival in Israel.
• Later this afternoon, we check into our hotel with time to relax and refresh.
• This evening, we enjoy a welcome dinner together at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3: Tuesday, July 26, 2022: A TASTE OF TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day in Old Jaffa, where we wander through the cobblestone alleyways to visit art galleries and take in the views of the sea as we learn about this historically important port.
• Next, we stroll through Neve Tzedek, one of Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhoods, where we see the artistic graffiti painted on the walls and buildings of the community and learn how this is an important form of expression.
• We follow the Independence Trail through the Rothschild District, discovering the architectural, cultural, and intellectual foundations of this great city along the way, including a stop outside the famed site of Israel’s Independence Hall.
• With stop for lunch on own and we enjoy time exploring Nachalat Binyamin, where the artists and entertainers bring the streets of Tel Aviv to life, then continue to the adjacent Carmel Market to take in the sights, smells and sounds of this bustling marketplace.
• We continue to the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, an institution which was founded by the late President Shimon Peres. The center was created as a non-political, non-governmental organization focused on building a more prosperous Israel and a more peaceful Middle East through innovation, technology, and cutting-edge coexistence programs.
• We return to Tel Aviv for an evening to swim in the sea or at the hotel pool and enjoy dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 4: Wednesday, July 27, 2022: THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we depart Tel Aviv and travel north along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, where we view the aqueduct, Herod’s palace and the ancient theater now used as a concert venue.
• We travel to Haifa for a falafel lunch on own in the Arab neighborhood of Wadi Nisnas.
• After lunch, we drive to the top of Mount Carmel to take in the panoramic view overlooking the beautiful Bahai Gardens and northern coastline.
• We next tour the ruins of the once thriving city of Zippori, where Jews and Gentiles lived side by side for centuries and where the Mishnah was codified almost 2,000 years ago.
• Our next stop is in Tzomet HaGoma to enjoy the fabulous Buza ice cream before continuing to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and have a chance to relax and refresh.
• This evening, we enjoy dinner together at our kibbutz.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 5: Thursday, July 28, 2022: NORTHERN ADVENTURES

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We begin our day with an exciting jeep tour through the Golan Heights, passing former Syrian bunkers on the way to the top of Har Bental, where we take in the views of Syria and learn about the current geopolitical situation.
• While the children are learning to make chocolate at the DeKarina Chocolate Factory, the adults will have the option to visit the adjacent Pelter Winery for a tour and tasting.
• Lunch on own in the area.
• We stop in Bukata, a Druze village, and join local woman Nasiba we learn about her inspiring story of success and independence in a traditional society.
• This afternoon, we travel to the mystical city of Safed, one of the four holy cities in Israel and the center of Kabbalah.
• We return to our kibbutz for a relaxing evening and dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 6: Friday, July 29, 2022: THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• This morning we visit Atlit, a former detention compound for Jewish immigrants who arrived in Israel illegally during the British Mandate period.
• We travel along Route 6 and the barrier to Jerusalem.
• We ascend to Jerusalem and stop atop Mount Scopus to say the Shehecheyanu as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• Our next stop is at the Tachana, the renovated train station filled with cafes and restaurants for lunch on own.
• After lunch on own, we check into our hotel and have time at leisure.
• As the sun sets, we gather for Kabbalat Shabbat with members of Kol Haneshama, followed by Shabbat dinner.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Saturday, July 30, 2022: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we tour the recently renovated Israel Museum. The galleries range from pop and modern art, back through the Renaissance and Classical periods, with a strong emphasis on Jewish and Israeli archeological history with evidence going back thousands of years. We walk through the iconic Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, and see the impressive miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period.
• This afternoon choose to enjoy a walking tour of the Old City, including a stroll along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian quarter and time for lunch on own OR return to our hotel to relax and enjoy the facilities.
• Dinner on own this evening.
• After dinner, we walk to the Tower of David to watch the spectacular Sound and Light show.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 8: Sunday, July 31, 2022: ANCIENT JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit Ir David, the City of David, where we wander through the carefully preserved archaeological excavations dating back to the time of King David, including a walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel.
• Next, we visit the Davidson Archaeological Park to see the remains from the First and Second Temple periods.
• We return to the Old City and visit the Kotel (Western Wall) with time for personal reflection.
• Lunch on own and free time to shop in the Jewish quarter’s Cardo market.
• Later this afternoon, we head underground for a tour of the Western Wall tunnels, where we discover the archaeological wonders that once remained untouched for centuries.
• Evening at leisure to explore and enjoy dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 9: Monday, August 1, 2022: THE DEAD SEA BASIN

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart early this morning and travel south to the Dead Sea basin. Upon arrival, we ascend Masada by cable car or snake path to view the remains of King Herod’s fortress, including the synagogue, walls, and bathhouses, as we learn about the Jewish Zealot’s last stand against the Roman forces.
• We descend the mountain and head to the beach for lunch, a chance to enjoy the mineral-rich mud baths and an unsinkable swim in the healing, salty waters of the Dead Sea.
• Later this afternoon, we enjoy a short hike to the hidden waterfalls in the desert oasis of Ein Gedi.
• We travel to Eretz Beresheet for an authentic Bedouin experience, including a camel ride and a traditional hafla dinner.
• We return to Jerusalem later this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Tuesday, August 2, 2022: WE REMEMBER

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we participate in tikkun olam and engage in an unforgettable hands-on experience packing food staples included in monthly food baskets delivered to Israel’s neediest families at Pantry Packers.
• Next, we tour Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust, where we view the many moving exhibitions, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations. Our group will divide into two tracks; first timers and those who have visited before.
• We continue to the famed Machane Yehuda, where we take in the sights, smells and sounds of the bustling marketplace and try some of Israel’s delicacies on our tasting tour. Time for lunch on own!
• At Mount Herzl, Jerusalem’s military cemetery, we pay our respects at the gravesites of Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres and hear stories of some of the lesser-known heroes buried here.
• Evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 11: Wednesday, August 3, 2022: DIGGING ISRAEL

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we travel to Beit Guvrin to participate in a hands-on archaeological dig, unearthing remnants from Israel’s ancient past and a chance to cave crawl at Tel Maresha.
• We return to Jerusalem for an afternoon at leisure.
• This evening, we check out of our hotel and join together for a festive farewell dinner, recalling all that we have experienced on this journey together.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 12: Thursday, August 4, 2022: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.

The Memories Last Forever!!!
*Itinerary subject to change